The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-11-17
THE VARIETY SHOW.
BY PEN: FIELD:

BY PEN: FIELD:
For TIE CITIZEN
While passing up the street re
Gently, | saw small female picka
ninny, coal black, about 4 years oil
age, toddling under the weight of q
heavy hoard she was dragging
across the street. Suddenly a 250
pound negress appeared in one OF
the doors of the adjoining huts, and
in euphonious tones addressed the
infsnt: "Ileah, you Rose Pearl
Charlton, what 80 totin' dat alb
boahd? l no tell you to bring me
dat boahd, no-howi Use done
bring you up like a lady, I'm l amt
gwine have yer totir' tings jes
like ornary white young IN Drap
dat er boahd and let some NV de IN
nice little culled gemmen bring it
over for yer Heah yo mudder a
talkin, chile?"
During the recent visit of the
president and lady to Nashville, l
was IDLY waiting for the procession
to pass, on corner near the Gus
tom house, when my attention was
attracted b a party of females
near me who were sitting, or rath-
standlng,in judgment on Mrs. Cleve-
land. They were from the noun
tains, regular female moss backs.
One, a young one, with her first ba-
by, yaller dog and her husband,
big over grown mountaineer, was
particularly loud and decided in her
denunciations, thusly: Il sh'ld
think Mistress Cleveland would be
ashamed of herself to see her pic
ture a ornamentin' every saloon,
meat shop and every other low
place, and l shouldn't think her
ole man would low her to go gal
livanting roun' the kentry this yer
a way, for every man to look at her.
She must be bod, loud thing, er
she wudn't do it. T'ud like ter see
'em stickin' my picture up that
way, en- Fud like ter hev Jim ketch
'em lookin' at me that a way;
wud'nt you, Jim2' And the ad-
miring Jim, who is evidently that
saddest of things, on earth or pen,
hen pecked men," tried to speak
up like a man, but practice and
habit were too much for the bash
full youth, and all we could hear
was a faint affirmative growl. Just
then the procession passed and in
my intense admiration of the ''bold,
loud Frances" lost sight of the !
modest mountaineers.
Did you ever die, and come to
life again? l did, once. 1t was be-
fore l had outgrown the follies of
youth and l was engaged, that is
for an evening at the theatre. Dur
ing the afternoon L felt quite un-
well, but continued to prepare for
the evenings dissipation, all the
same. While talking to my escort
previous to our departure, l fell in
s dead faint. Excitement and con
fusion reigned supreme. Physi-
Clans we're :sent for; all remedies
known were applied, but after hours
of rubbing and the most proficient
attention. life was pronounced ex-
tinct. When the morning papers
the sudden death of the
young and charming Miss Pen:
Field great was the Consideration
and grief. The coffin was brought,
tender hands carefully prepared and
laid me therein; the sound of weep
ing greeted my esro, the heavy per-
tune of exquisite flowers filled my
nortrlls, when l regained conscious
ness. At first I WAS dazed and lay
in a semicomatose condition, but
hearing my mother addressing me
in heart-broken tones, as ''her
lost darling, her dead baby, the
pride of her heart" the truth |
flashed upon me; she thought me
dead. Wishing to reassure her, l
tried to speak, when Il was first sur
prised, then dismayed and finally |
frantic with terror, when | found |
| was alive and yet practically dead |
as | could not move a muscle nor |
utter a sound-seemed not to even
breathe. Oh! the agony OF the next
twenty-four hours. Held in an in
sible wise, and yet able to hear |
my loved family and friends moan
ing my loss. To feel their kisses
and tears on my face and hands,
yet unable to make one little q owe |
in response, and tell l was still with |
them in spirit as well as body. But
the full horror of my position
did not dawn upon me until the
parlors began to fill with people,
and l realized that in two short
hours l would be burned alive, for
my family were staunch advocates
Of cremation. The prayers were
over, the dear friends had taken
their farewell look; and the pail
bearers, friends from my child
hood, and enc, oh, so dear were
screwing the lid on, when fear and
horror caused me to lose conscious
ness. Of the long ride to the Gre
matory, ] knew nothing. When l
came to again mother was pressing
long kiss on my cold, unrespon-
sive lips and she was supported
from the room. ! was placed on the
slab robed in the chemically pre-
pared garments for cremation; the
wide door of the whitehead oven
was opened; l was lifted and car
ried for yard toward the opening
and could feel the hot air coming
toward me, when with one wild
shrek shrek: born of the agony of
despair, bounded from the slab,
and AwoKEl to End myself standing
in the middle of my bedroom floor.
l had attended an old maids pos
sum dinner the night before. Nuff